Sebastian Owen becomes Commercial Director

After 21 years at the helm with Dr Max Watkins, Jeremy Owen is retiring as a director of Vita (Europe) Ltd but will continue in the role of chief financial officer. Max Watkins will take on the position of CEO.

Sebastian Owen, previously commercial manager at Vita, becomes commercial director responsible for sales and marketing. A familiar face and a highly respected figure across the company’s distribution network, Sebastian has developed a profound knowledge of the challenges of maintaining and developing a global distribution network in honey bee health products.

Jeremy Owen reflected, “When Max and I first established Vita (Europe) Ltd in 1997, there were sceptics who openly said that we were taking a considerable risk in forming a honeybee health company. Within ten years, Vita had become the world’s largest dedicated honey bee health specialist and on our twentieth anniversary last year we were able to establish Vita Bee Health as part of a diversifying enterprise. In those two decades we have witnessed many changes and crises in the world of honeybees and I like to think we have served beekeepers well by responding to their desire for an environmentally ethical approach to the health of the world’s great pollinator.

“Although I am retiring as commercial director, I will remain as chief financial officer, knowing that the company has an assured and exciting future in which I am delighted to retain a significant role.”

Max Watkins said, “Working with Jeremy Owen has been a stimulating and harmonious experience and enabled Vita to become a well-balanced and highly innovative force for honey bee health. Recent key appointments ensure that the company will forge ahead and yet still have Jeremy’s depth of skills to call upon. Gradually and assuredly, Sebastian Owen has been taking on Jeremy’s pivotal role in sales and marketing, so our distributor network can look forward to a seamless handover.”

In addition to his role as CFO, Jeremy will remain as a co-owner, with Max Watkins, of Vita (Europe) Ltd.